Machine for splitting tubular fabric, opening it, and extracting moisture therefrom



2,410,146 OPENING 4 Sheet-Sheet 1 Oct. 29, 1946. Y H. w. BIRCH MACHINE FOR SPLITTING TUBULAR FABRIC,

IT AND EXTRACTING MOISTURE THEREFROM Filed June 12, 1944 Havoiol Wflii'ciw,

Oct. 29,3 1946. v H. w. BIRCH 2,410,146

I MACHINE FOR SPLITTING TUBULAR FABRIC, OPENING IT AND EXTRACTING MOISTURE THEREFBOM Oct. 29, 1946; H. w. BIRCH 2941109146 MACHINE FOR SPLITTING TUBULAR FABRIC, OPENING IT AND EXTRACTING MOISTURE THEREFROM Filed June 12, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 I I I I I I I II g (i I i I I I AYI I -2; i I

I i q I 1' I I 1 I I i I Y 15208825303 1 1% Hawoid Oct. 29, 1946. H. w. BIRCH 2,410,146

MACHINE FOR SPLITTING TUBULAR FABRIC, OPENING IT AND EXTRACTING MOISTURE THEREFROM Filed June 12, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Oct. 29, 1946 MACHINE FOR SPLITTING TUBULAR FAB- RIC, OPENING IT,

AND EXTRAC TING MOISTURE THEREFROM Harold W. Birch, Belmont, Mass.

Application June 12, 1944, Serial No. 539,954

16 Claims.

This invention relates to a machine for splitting tubular fabric longitudinally thereof thereby to convert it into a flat fabric, and for opening and smoothing the flat fabric and then extracting moisture therefrom.

Prior machines for splitting tubular fabrics have been provided with a fabric-supporting table over which the tubular fabric is fed, and also with a splitting knife to split the fabric lengthwise as it is fed over the table. Sometimes the tubular fabric to be split is provided with a longitudinally extending guide line along which it is intended that the knife should operate to split the fabric and if the tubular fabric is a knit fabric such a guide line may be constituted by a longitudinally extending row of dropped stitches.

One object of the present invention is to provide a novel fabric splitting machine having means by which the operator can easily control, the tubular fabric as. it is fed to the splitting knife so as to keep any guide line with which the fabric is provided accurately in line with'the splitting knife.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fabric splitting machine with means by which the operator can easily bring the guide line in the fabric into registry with the, splitting knife some distance in advance of said knife, and with means to maintain such registry while such portion of the fabric is traveling from its advanced position to the knife. I v

A further object of the invention is to provide a single unitary machine having not only the means for splitting the tubular fabric, but also means for opening the split fabric and thus converting it into a flat fabric and means for extracting moisture from the flat fabric.

Other objects of the invention are to improve cloth splitting machines in various particulars which are pointed out in the annexed specification.

In the drawings wherein I. have illustrated a selected embodiment of my invention,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a machine embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the rear portion of the cloth-supporting table.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the front end of said table.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged section on the line 55, Fig. 3.

Fig, 6 is an enlarged section on the Fig. 4.

line 6-B',

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary view showing a different embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 8 is a view illustrating the tubular fabric with its guide line, a portion of the fabric having been split and opened to form a fiat fabric.

Fig. 9 is a section on the line 9-9, Fig. 3.

Fig. 10 is a section on the line H], Fig. 3.

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary view showing the means for guiding the fabric after it leaves the splitting knife and before it reaches the clothopening means.

Fig. 12 is a sectional view illustrating the vacuum extractor.

Referring first to Fig. 8, l indicates a tubular fabric to be split in the direction of its length, said fabric being illustrated as having a guide line 2 thereon extending longitudinally thereof and along which the fabric is to be split.

If the fabric is a knitfabric then this guide line may be constitutedby a longitudinal row of dropped titches. When the tubular fabric has been split along the guide line 2, then it may be opened out to present a flat fabric as shown at 3 in Fig. 8.

The fabric splitting means herein shown comprises a fabric-supporting table 4 over which the V tubular fabric is fed and a splitting knife, which may be a rotary motor driven knife 5 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 or a stationary knife 6 as shown in Fig. 7, which co-operates with the table 4 to split the fabric along the guide line as said fabric is fed over the table. This fabric-supporting table is preferably made arcuate in cross section as indicatedin Fig. 5 and it is supported at one end in a suitable frame l6 which carries the operative parts of the machine. By supportin the table at one end it presents a free forward end adapted to be inserted into the tubular fabric as the latter is fed thereover. In the construction shown, this cloth-supporting table 4 is mounted on a tubular element 6 which has one end mounted in the supporting frame l6 and which has a free end I extending forward some distance from the frame.

The tube 6 has mounted thereon a plurality of table-supporting brackets 8, 9', l 0, each bracket having a semi-circular seat portion II to fit the upper side of the tube 6 and beingclamped to the tube by means of a clamping member I2, each clamping member l2 being clamped to its brackets by means of clamping screws [3. Each table-supporting bracket 8, 9, or ID i provided with an. arcuate upper surface M on which the table 4 rests. This table is made of sheet metal bent to fitthe arcuate surface I 4 therebypresenting a table having a curved or semicylindrical fabric-receiving surface.

The tube 6 can be secured to the frame [6 in anyv approved way. As herein shown this frame is provided with two channel-shaped cross bar l5, H. The right hand extremity of the tube 6 is clamped between two clamping blocks l8, 19, the latter having an upper surface l9a curved to correspond to the curvature of the table 4. The rear end of the table is held or clamped between the clamping member l9 and another clamping member which is secured to the cross bar 11. 2| indicates clamping bolts which extend through all three clamping members and thus hold them firmly clamped to the rear end of the tube 6 and the rear end of the table 4. A second series of clamping members is employed in connection with the cross piece 15. This second series comprises a clamping member 22 underlying the tube 6, a second clamping member 23 interposed between the tube 5 and the table 4, and a third clamping member 24 interposed between the table 4 and the cross piece l5.- These three clamping members are clamped tightly together and against the tube and table by means of clamping bolts 25. These two series of clamping members serve to hold the tube and the table rigidly in position with both the tube and the table extending forwardly from the frame thereby to present free ends.

In order to facilitate the entrance of the table 4 into the tubular fabric as it is fed forwardfl have provided a nose element at said end of the table which nose element has a rounded end over which the fabric may be readily drawn. This nose element is indicated generally at 2B and it is rotatively'mounted on the end 1 of the tube 6. Said nose'element comprises a rear head 21, a front head 28 and a series of rods 29 connecting the two heads-both heads being capable to turning movement on the tube 5. The heads 21, 28 are circular in shape and the curvature of the head 21 corresponds to that of the table 4 so that the upper surface of the head 21 comes flush with the end of the table. The front head 28 carries a concavo-convex nose plate 30 which provides the nose element with a smooth curved end;

' The tubular fabric I is fed to the knife and through the machine by means of a pair of feed rolls 3|, 32 situated at the rear of the machine and adapted to act on the fabric after it has been split and opened out into fiat form. The feed roll 3| is a driven roll and the feed roll 32 is an idler roll. The fabric is shown as passing under the roll 3| between the rolls 3| and 32 and then over the roll 32.

Any suitable means for driving the feed roll 3| may be employed. I have herein shown a motor 33 for this purpose which is connected by a belt drive 34 to a pulley 35 on a cross shaft 36 carried by the frame. The shaft 35 is connected by belt or sprocket chain 31 to a pulley or sprocket 38 on another cross shaft 39 and the feed roll 3| has rigid therewith a pulley or sprocket 40 which is connected to and driven from the shaft 39 by a belt or sprocket drive 4|.

The table 4 is shown as having an illuminated window or opening 42 in its forward 'end so that as the portion of the tubular fabric having the guideline 2 thereon is fed over the window the operator can observe whether or not said guide lineis in the line with the knife 5.

As stated above the nose element 26 is freely rotatable on the end i of the tube 6, the advantage of this construction being that it provides means to assist the operator in keeping the guide line in the tubular fabric in proper registry with the splitting knife. As the tubular fabric is fed over the nose, the operator watches the progress of the guide line over the illuminated window 42, and if said line tends to move out of line with the splitting knife, the operator may turn the nose in one direction or the other to bring the guide line back into proper registry with said splitting knife, thereby maintaining the guide line in alignment with the splitting knife.

The nose element 26 is held against movement longitudinally of the tube by means of a collar 43 which is mounted on and clamped to the tube and which confines the rear head between itself and the supporting bracket Hi.

When the machine is operating, the operator will stand adjacent to the nose element 26 and by placing his hands on the fabric as it is fed over the nose element he can easily turn the nose in one direction or the other as is necessary to maintain the guide line in line with the splitting knife. The illuminated window 42 provides means whereby the operator can readily see just what the position of the guide line is as it travels over the window. The window may be illuminated in any convenient way such as by having an electric light bulb located beneath the window.

Associated with the table 4 is means to engage the cloth after it has been properly positioned with the guide line in line with the splitting knife and to hold the cloth in this position as it travels from the window to the splitting knife. This means is herein shown in the form of two endless pin chain elements 44 which operate beneath the table 4 and which are provided with pins 45. The table 4 is formed with a wide slot 46 and the tWo pin chain elements 44 are arranged so that the pins in the upper run of said elements project through the slot and into position to engage the fabric resting on the table.

Each pin chain element is supported by two sprocket wheels 4?, 48 which are mounted in the supporting brackets 8 and 9. The two pin chain elements are situated on either side of the splitting knife and as the tubular fabric is fed over the nose and then is fed forward over the table, the pins 45 in the upper runs of the two pin chain elements 44 engage the fabric either side of the guide line and thus hold the fabric properly positioned as it travels to and past the splitting knife. These pin chain elements are not driven but are free to be moved by the fabric as the latter is fed forward. 7

In order to maintain the upper run of the pin chain elements 44 in a position in which the pins 45 will be in engagement with the fabric, I have provided a supporting plate 12 which is situated beneath the upper runs of said chains and which is formed with two longitudinal grooves E4, in which said upper runs travel. Each end of this supporting plate 12 is mounted on a cross bar 73 which in turn is secured to wings it with which the brackets 8 and 9 are provided. Such supporting table prevents the upper runs of the chain elements 44 from sagging and the pins 45 in said upper runs are, therefore, always in operative position to engage the fabric.

49 indicates a rotary element in the nature of a brush or some similar device which engages the upper surface of the fabric and presses it against the projecting pins 45. thereby insuring that the fabric will be impaled on the pins.

The tubular fabric which is to be split may be considerably larger in diameter than the nose element 26, in which case when the upper portion of the fabric is resting on the nose, the lower portion will drop down some distance below the nose. In order to keep the fabric taut in a transverse direction as it is moving over the table, I have provided a tension wheel 59 mounted on an arm 5| that is pivoted at 52 to the supporting bracket ID. This wheel 50 engages the interior of the tubular fabric at its lower portion and holds the portion of the fabric resting on the table in a smooth condition.

The portion of the fabric which has passed the splitting knife and has been split is carried underneath the clampin members I8 and 22 and then it passes to a cloth-guiding element indicated generally at 53 by which the cloth is guided and held in a true course, and from said clothguiding means said cloth passes to a cloth-opening element 55 which smooths the flat fabric transversely and removes wrinkles therefrom. From the cloth-opening element the fabric passes to a vacuum extractor 55 which extracts moisture therefrom and thence it passes to the feed rols 3|, 32 by which the cloth is pulled forward through the machine. said cloth being delivered from the said rolls either to a suitable folding element by which the cloth is folded or to a roll on which the cloth s wound up.

The cloth-guiding element 53 comprises a vertical shaft 92 mounted in the frame I 6 and. to which is secured a cross bar 93 carrying a down- Wardly curved element 94, the ends of the element 94 being rigidly secured to the ends of the cross bar 93. This curved element 94 has a wheel 96 rotatively mounted thereon at its central portion, said wheel being so so disposed as to; engage the. upper surface of the cloth as it moves forward from the splitting knife to the cloth-opening element 55. Said wheel 96 together wtih the curved member 94 constitute a cloth-guiding unit by which the cloth can be guided and any lateral shifting movement thereof can be corrected.

The shaft 92 has fast thereon at its upper end a worm gear 97 which meshes with and is rotated by a worm 93 on a longitudinally extending shaft 99. This shaft 99 which is mounted in suitable bearings I90 extends forwardly towards the nose 23 and is provided at its forward end with a handle or wheel I ill by which the operator may turn it, thereby turning the shaft 92 in its bearings. Any turning movement of the shaft 92 will turn the axis of the guiding unit 94, 96 into an angular position relative to the direction of feeding movement of the cloth, and whenever the wheel 96, which is bearing on the cloth and is being rotated by the forward movement thereof, is moved or turned into a position in which its axis makes a slight angle with the direction of movement, the action of the wheel 96 and the curved member 94 on the cloth will be to causesthe cloth to shift laterally during such forward movement. By this means any tendency of the cloth to shift widthwise in either direction as it travels from the splitting knife to the cloth-opening element 55 may be readily corrected.

The cloth-opening element 55' is of the known type comprising tworolls 51, 58 between which the cloth passes, and each of which is provided with spiral ribs, the ribs on each roll spiraling from the center of the roll outwardly toward the ends. These two rolls are mounted for rotation in two disk-like heads which in turn are sup-' ported in bearings 60 mounted on the frame.

These heads can be turned in the bearings so as to give the spiral rolls 57, 58 either a position in which they just contact with the upper and lower surface of the cloth or into a position where the cloth in passing through the rolls contacts with more or less of the surface of each roll, These spiral rolls 51, 58 are positively driven in opposite directions in a well-known manner from the shaft 39 by means of a belt or sprocket drive 6|. Said belt or sprocket operates a pulley or sprocket I03 carried by a shaft I 04, the latter shaft having a gear thereon which meshes with gears mounted on the shafts or spindles of the rolls 51, 5a By employing suitable reversing mechanism in the means for driving the spiral rolls 51, 58 said rolls may be rotated in a direction in Which the portion thereof that engages the cloth moves in the direction of the feed or they may be rotated in the opposite direction so that the portion of each roll which engages the cloth is moving in 'a direction opposite to the direction of feed.

The vacuum extractor element 56 is of the type which comprises a vacuum chamber 62 extending transversely across the machine and having a slot 63 extending longitudinally thereof said chamber being situated so that the cloth passes over and engages the slotted face of the chamber. Suitable means such as a pump 64 is provided for maintaining vacuum conditions in the vacuum chamber. With this arrangement, if the cloth is wet when it is delivered to the machine, the vacuum extractor will extract a large portion of the moisture from the cloth so that it will be delivered to the feed rolls in a relatively dry condition.

The cloth which is delivered from the feed rolls is herein shown as being passed to a folding device 66 of any suitable or usual construction by which the flat fabric is folded and formed into a pile as shown at 61. This folder comprises the usual draw roll 68 over which the cloth passes and the usual swinging folding arm 69 carrying at its lower end two rolls 1!] between which the cloth passes, the swinging movement of the arm 69 serving to lay the cloth in folds in the pile 61 as usual. The fol-ding element 66 may be driven from the shaft of the feed roll 3| by suitable driving connections ll.

85 indicates a foot-operated switch situated at th point where the operator stands and by which he may close or open the circuit of the motor 33.

I will preferably employ a variable speed drive between the motor 33 and the pulley 35. While such variable speed drive may be of any usual type, I have herein shown the well-known Reeves variable speed drive which comprises a two-section pulley ll on the motor shaft, the two sections of the pulley being movable toward and from other to vary the effective size of the pulley, itheing understood that the belt 3% is a V belt.

The control for this variable speed, drive includes the usual shaft 28 having a screw-threaded portion I9 which engages the base 3% of the motor so that by rotating the shaft in one direction or theother the motor will be moved away from or toward the pulley 95. The two sections of the pulley l"? are urged toward each other by a spring as usual in this type of variable speed drive, but when the motor is shifted away from the pulley 35 the V belt will be forced toward the axis of the pulley ll thus separating the two sections of the pulley and produce in effect a smaller pulley which will result in a reduced speed of the driving pulley 35. When the motor is moved toward the pulley 35 by the shaft 18, then the spring closes the two sections of the pulley together, thereby giving the pulley 18 the effect of a larger pulley which will result in increasing the speed of the driving pulley 35.

Inasmuch as this Reeves variable speed drive is a familiar article of commerce, I have not thought it necessary to further illustrate it.

, The tubular fabric I which is to be split is frequently in rope form and is more or less twisted. For the purpose of taking out any twist which such a tubular fabric may contain, I propose to use a detwisting device indicated diagrammatically at Bl through which the tubular fabric passes on its way to the head 26, said detwisting device being capable of taking out twist from the fabric and thus presenting it to the head in an open untwisted condition. This detwisting apparatus may have the construction illustrated in U. S. Patent 2,248,962, July 15, 1941, and is actuated by a suitable motor controlled by a circuit 88 which includes a suitable reversing switch by which the rotary element of the detwisting device may be rotated in either direction as necessary to remove the twist in the rope.

, Such a switch is shown at 89. This switch is preferably placed within convenient reach of the station at which the operator stands for manipulating the tubular fabric as it passes over the head 26 so that the operator While at his station can not only manipulate the switch 85 controlling the motor 33 but can also manipulate the reverse switch 89 controlling the detwisting element 81.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for splitting a tubular fabric along a longitudinally extending guide line with which the fabric is provided, comprising a fabricsupporting table, means to feed the tubular fabric to be split over the table, a splitting knife to split the fabric along the guide line as it is fed forward, and a fabric opening nose at the entering end of the table over which the fabric is fed and which is mounted for free turning movement about an axis extending in the direction of the feeding movement, whereby the operator may manipulate said nose to keep the guide line on the fabric as it passes from the nose to the table in line with the splitting knife.

2. An apparatus for splitting a tubular fabric along a longitudinally extending guide line with which the fabric is provided, comprising a fabricsupporting table, means supporting said table from one end, means to feed the tubular fabric to be split to the free end of the table with said free end entering said tubular fabric, a splitting knife to split the fabric along the guide line as it is fed forward, and a fabric opening nose at the free end of the table which is mounted for free turning movement about an axis extending in the direction of feeding movement whereby the operator may manipulate said nose to keep the guide line on the fabric in line with the splitting knife.

3. An apparatus for splitting a tubular fabric along a longitudinally extending guide line with which the fabric is provided, comprising a fabricsupporting table arcuate in cross section, means supporting said table at one end, means to feed the tubular fabric to be split over said table, a splitting knife to split the fabric along the guide line as it is fed forward, and a fabric opening nose at the free end of the table, said nose having a rounded end and being free to turn about an axis extending in the direction of feed, whereby the operator may manipulate said nose as the fabric is fed thereover to'position the guide line in registry with the splitting knife.

4. An apparatus for splitting a tubular fabric along a longitudinally extending guide line with which the fabric is provided, comprising a fabric-supporting table, means supporting said table from one end, means to feedthe tubular fabric to be split over the table, a splitting knife for splitting the fabric as it is fed forward, a fabric opening nose at the free end of the table over which the fabric is fed and which is mounted for free turning movement about an axis extending in the direction of feed, whereby the operator may manipulate said nose to keep the guide line on the fabric as it passes from the nose to the table in line with the splitting knife, and means to maintain said guide line in register with the splitting knife as the fabric travels from the nose to the knife.

, 5. An apparatus for splitting a tubular fabric along a longitudinally extending guide line with which the fabric is provided, comprising a fabric-supporting table, means supporting said table from one end, means to feed the tubular fabric to be split over the table, a splitting knife for splitting the fabric as it is fed forward, a fabric opening nose at the free end of the table over which the fabric is fed and which is mounted for free turning movement about an axis extending in the direction of feed, whereby the operator may manipulate said nose to keep the guide line on the fabric as it passes from the nose to the table in line with the splitting knife, said table having a slot on the input side of the knife and which extends in the direction of feed, and an endless chain situated beneath the table and having guiding pins which extend through said slot and engage the fabric to maintain the guide line in register with the knife.

6. An apparatus for splitting a tubular fabric along a longitudinally extending guide line with which the fabric is provided, comprising an elongated fabric-supporting table arcuate in cross section, means supporting said table at one end, means to feed the tubular fabric to be split over the table, a splitting knife to split the fabric, said table having an illuminated window adjacent its free end in line with the knife, and a cylindrical fabric opening nose at the free end of the table which enters and opens the tubular fabric as it is fed forward, said nose being mounted for free turning movement about an axis extending in the direction of feeding movement whereby the operator may manipulate said nose to keep the uide line on the portion of the fabric passing over said window in line with the knife.

'7. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a frame, of a fabric-supporting table mounted thereon and having a free end, means mounted on the frame for feeding a tubular fabric over the table, a splitting knife to split the fabric as it is thus fed, fabric-opening means situated between the fabric-feeding means and the knife to open thesplit fabric and smooth it transversely, and means situated between the knife and the fabric-opening means to shift the fabric in a direction transversely to its length as necessary to maintain said fabric in a central position as it is fed to the fabric-opening means.

8. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a frame, of a fabric-supporting table mounted thereon, means mounted on the frame for feeding a tubular fabric over said table, a splitting knife to split the fabric as it is thus fed, means carried by the frame and situated between the feeding means and the knife to open the split fabric and smooth it transversely, fabricguiding means situated between the knife and the fabric-opening means and comprising a roll resting on the fabric and adapted to be rotated by the forward feeding movement thereof, and means to turn the roll about an axis at right angles to its own axis, whereby the engagement of the roll with the forwardly moving fabric causes the latter to be shifted in a direction transversely to its length.

9. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a frame, of a fabric-supporting table mounted thereon, means mounted on the frame for feeding a tubular fabric over said table, a splitting knife to split the fabric as it is thus fed, means carried by the frame and situated between the feeding means and the knife to open the split fabric and smooth it transversely, a vertical shaft carried by the frame between the knife and the fabric-opening means, a convexly curved fabric-guiding member carried by said shaft under which the split fabric passes, a freely rotatable roll carried by said guiding member and adapted to rest on and be rotated by the forwardly moving fabric, and means to turn the shaft about its axis in either direction, whereby the engagement of the roll with the forwardly moving fabric causes the latter to be shifted in a direction transversely to its length.

10. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a frame, of a fabric-supporting table mounted thereon, means mounted on the frame for feeding a tubular fabric over the table, a splitting knife to split the fabric as it is thus fed, means carried by the frame and situated between the feeding means and the knife to open the split fabric and smooth it transversely, means situated between the knife and the fabric-opening means by which the fabric may be shifted in either direction transversely to its length as necessary to maintain the fabric in central position as it is fed to the fabric-opening means, and means situated between the fabric-opening means and the feeding means for extracting moisture from the fabric.

11. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a frame, of a fabric-supportin table mounted thereon, means mounted on the frame for feeding a tubular fabric over the table, a splitting knife to split the fabric as it is thus fed, detwisting means situated in advance of the table and adapted to act on the tubular fabric being delivered tothe table to remove any twist therefrom, means carried by the frame and situated between the feeding means and the knife to open the split fabric and smooth it transversely, means situated between the knife and the fabricopening means by which the split fabric may be shifted in either direction transversely to its length as necessary to maintain the fabric in central position as it is fed to the fabric-opening means, and means situated between the fabric opening means and the feeding means for extracting moisture from the fabric.

12. An apparatus for detwisting tubular fabric and splitting it along a longitudinally extending guide line with which the fabric is provided, comprising, a fabric-supporting table, means to feed the tubular fabric to be split over the table, a splitting knife to split the fabric along the guide line as it is fed forward, a fabric opening nose at the entering end of the table over which the fabric is fed and which is mounted for free turning movement about an aXis extending in the direction of the feeding movement, whereby the operator may manipulate said nose to keep the guide line on [the fabric as it passes from the nose to the table in line with the splitting knife, and a detwisting element in advance of said nose adapted to act on the unsplit tubular fabric prior to its delivery to the nose and remove any twist from said fabric.

13. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a frame, of means for feeding a web of fabric forwardly, a vertical shaft carried by the frame, a convexly curved fabric-guiding member carried by said shaft under which the fabric passes, a freely rotatable roll mounted on said guiding member and adapted to rest on and be rotated by the forwardly moving fabric, and means to turn the shaft about its axis in either direction, whereby the engagement of the roll with the forwardly moving fabric causes the latter .to be shifted in a direction transversely to its length.

14. An apparatus for splitting a tubular fabric along a longitudinally extending guide line with which the fabric is provided, said apparatus comprising a fabric-supporting table, means supporting said table from one end, a fabric-opening nose at the free end of the table, means to feed the tubular fabric to be split to said free end of the table with the latter entering the tubular fabric, a splitting knife to split the fabric along the guide line as it is fed forward, means beneath the table in advance of the splitting knife to engage the inside of the unsplit tubular fabric and to subject the fabric to tension transversely of its length, whereby the portion of the fabric containing the guide line will be held in smooth contact with the table.

15. An apparatus for splitting a tubular fabric along a longitudinally extending guide line with which the fabric is provided, said apparatus comprising a fabric-supporting table, means supporting said table from one end, a fabric-opening nose at the free end of the table, means to feed the tubular fabric to be split to said free end of the .table with the latter entering the tubular fabric, a splitting knife to split the fabric along the guide line as it is fed forward, a tension roll situated beneath the table in advance of the splitting knife and adapted to engage the inside of the unsplit tubular fabric, thereby to subject said fabric to suflicient tension transversely of its length to maintain the portion of the fabric having the guide line in smooth contact with said table.

16. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with means to feed a web of fabric forwardly, of a roll-carrying member above the fabric, means supporting said member for turning movement about a vertical axis situated at right angles to the direction of feed of the fabric and substantially midway between the edges of the fabric, a roll freely rotatable on said member and engaging the top face of the fabric at a point substantially midway between its edges with sufficient pressure so that the roll will be rotated by its frictional engagement with the fabric as the latter is fed forward, and manual means for turning the roll-carrying member about its axis .thereby to change the angular position of the axis of the roll, with the result that the fabric Will be shifted sidewise.

HAROLD W. BIRCH. 

